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Saturday, November 5, 2016

Seat Belts: How They Save Lives

Do you snap in your seat belt as soon as you get in the car? Do your
children have the right safety seats for their weight and age? If
you've answered no, even just once, you need to read on.

It's been proven time and again, on back roads and superhighways: A
seat belt can save a life in a car accident. According to the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 15,000 lives
are saved each year in the United States because drivers and their
passengers were wearing seat belts when they were in accidents.Seat Belt Safety: 5-Way Protection“Seat belts prevent occupants of the vehicle from serious injury in
five ways,” says Angela Osterhuber, director of the Pennsylvania
Traffic Injury Prevention Project in Media, Pa. A seat belt:

Keeps the occupants of the vehicle inside. “It’s
clearly a myth that people are better off being thrown clear from the
crash,” Osterhuber says. “People thrown from a vehicle are four times
more likely to be killed than those who remain inside.”

Restrains the strongest parts of the body.
“Restraints are designed to contact your body at its strongest parts.
For an older child and adult, these parts are the hips and shoulders,
which is where the seat belt should be strapped,” Osterhuber says.

Spreads out any force from the collision.
“Lap-and-shoulder belts spread the force of the crash over a wide area
of the body. By putting less stress on any one area, they can help you
avoid serious injury,” Osterhuber says. A shoulder strap also helps keep
your head and upper body away from the dashboard, steering wheel, and
other hard interior parts of the automobile should you stop suddenly or
be hit by another vehicle.

Helps the body to slow down. “What is it that
causes injury? A quick change in speed,” Osterhuber says. “Seat belts
help extend the time it takes for you to slow down in a crash.”

Protects your brain and spinal cord. A seat belt
is designed to protect these two critical areas. “Head injuries may be
hard to see immediately, but they can be deadly,” Osterhuber says.
Likewise, spinal cord injuries can have serious consequences.

Seat Belt Safety: Buckle Up Correctly Adjusting your seat belt properly is a must: Getting the right fit
is as important as wearing it. The strap that goes across your lap
should fit snugly over your hips and upper thigh area. “If the belt
rides up on the stomach, it could cause serious injuries in a crash,”
Osterhuber says.Shoulder belts should rest securely across your chest and
shoulders between your breasts. Don’t ever let the strap fall across
your neck or face and never place the strap under your arms or behind
your back. “Any one of these positions can cause serious injury,”
Osterhuber says.Seat Belt Safety: Rules for Infants and Children Children
are not small adults — they need specialized protection in a moving
vehicle. “Their skeletal structure is different,” Osterhuber says. Age,
height, and weight determine the safest way for a child to travel.According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, here’s how to select the right option for your child:

Rear-facing child safety seat. Children under age
1 and those who weigh less than 20 pounds should sit in rear-facing,
child safety seats approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA). The seats should be placed in the backseat of
the car.

Forward-facing child safety seat. Children older
than 1 who weigh more than 20 pounds should ride in forward-facing child
safety seats. The seat should be placed in the rear of the vehicle
until the child reaches the upper weight or height limit of the
particular seat. Typically, a child will outgrow a safety seat around
age 4 and once she reaches about 40 pounds.

Booster seat. Children age 4 and older who weigh
more than 40 pounds should ride in booster seats. A child can safely
progress to a seat belt when the belt fits properly across the upper
thighs and chest. “This is usually at age 8 or when they are at least 4
feet 9 inches tall,” Osterhuber says.

Seat belt. When children outgrow their booster
seats, they can use seat belts, but they still should sit in the back of
the vehicle. “Really, all children should be riding in the backseat of
the car until they are at least 13 years old,” Osterhuber says.

Seat Belt Safety: A Clear Message
The National Safety Council recently reported a drop in traffic
fatalities for 2008, indicating a record low since the 1920s when it
began publishing statistical reports. One reason given for the decline
is the increased use of seat belts.
It takes only a few seconds to buckle up once you get in the car. Why wouldn’t you?

Thursday, November 3, 2016

Finding Fitness: 10 Ways to Fit In Exercise

The "E" word can make you cringe, but exercise is really necessary.
Besides, it can be fun: Learn how to squeeze fitness into your busy day.

The benefits of regular exercise are unrivaled: Physical activity can
help you lose weight and prevent a host of ailments, including heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis. Being fit also can help you stay mentally sharp.
While most people know they should exercise, you may not know where
to start or how to fit it into a busy schedule. The American College of
Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Heart Association (AHA)
recommend that healthy adults get at least 150 minutes of
moderate-intensity aerobic activity spread out over five days a week, or
20 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity on each of three days
a week.
“This is something we recommend to all Americans,” says Gerald
Fletcher, MD, a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla.,
and a spokesman for the AHA.

An ideal fitness routine also includes resistance
or weight training to improve muscle strength and endurance. The ACSM
and the AHA recommend that most adults engage in resistance training at
least twice a week.

Finding Fitness: 10 Ways to Get in Exercise

Sometimes the problem isn’t motivation — it’s simply finding the time.
But scheduling exercise isn’t as difficult as you might think. Here are
10 ways to get you moving more often:

Be less efficient. People typically try to think
of ways to make daily tasks easier. But if we make them harder, we can
get more exercise, says Sabrena Merrill, MS, of Lawrence, Kan., a
certified personal trainer, group fitness instructor, and spokeswoman
for the American Council on Exercise (ACE). “Bring in the groceries from
your car one bag at a time so you have to make several trips,” Merrill
says. “Put the laundry away a few items at a time, rather than carrying
it up in a basket.”

Shun labor-saving devices. Wash the car by hand
rather than taking it to the car wash. “It takes about an hour and a
half to do a good job, and in the meantime you’ve gotten great
exercise,” Merrill says. Use a push mower rather than a riding mower to
groom your lawn.

Going somewhere? Take the long way. Walking up or
down a few flights of stairs each day can be good for your heart. Avoid
elevators and escalators whenever possible. If you ride the bus or
subway to work, get off a stop before your office and walk the extra
distance. When you go to the mall or the grocery store, park furthest
from the entrance, not as close to it as you can, and you'll get a few
extra minutes of walking — one of the best exercises there is, Dr.
Fletcher says. “Walking is great because anyone can do it and you don’t
need any special equipment other than a properly fitting pair of
sneakers.”

Be a morning person. Studies show that people who
exercise in the morning are more likely to stick with it. As Merrill
explains, “Are you going to feel like exercising at the end of a hard
day? Probably not. If you do your workout in the morning, you’re not
only more likely to do it, but you'll also set a positive tone for the
day.”

Ink the deal. Whether morning, afternoon, or
evening, pick the time that is most convenient for you to exercise and
write it down in your daily planner. Keep your exercise routine as you
would keep any appointment.

Watch your step. Investing in a good pedometer
can help you stay motivated. “If you have a pedometer attached to your
waist and you can see how many steps you’ve taken, you’ll see it doesn’t
take long to walk 5,000 steps and you will be inspired,” Merrill says.
And building up to 10,000 steps a day won’t seem like such a daunting a
task.

Hire the right help. While weight training is
important, if you don’t know what you’re doing, you run the risk of
injuring yourself or not being effective, Merrill says. It’s best to get
instructions from a personal trainer at the gym. You also can buy a
weight-training DVD and follow along in your living room.

Keep records. Grab a diary or logbook, and every
day that you exercise, write down what you did and for how long. Your
records will make it easy for you to see what you’ve accomplished and
make you more accountable. Blank pages? You’d be ashamed.

Phone a friend. Find someone who likes the same
activity that you do — walking in the neighborhood, riding bikes,
playing tennis — and make a date to do it together. “Exercising with a
friend or in a group can be very motivating,” Fletcher says. “You are
likely to walk longer or bike greater distances if you’re talking to a
friend along the way. The time will go by faster.” Don’t have a buddy
who is available? Grab an MP3 player and listen to your favorite music
or an audio book while exercising.

Do what you like. Whatever exercise you choose,
be sure it’s one that you enjoy. You’re more likely to stick with it if
it’s something you have fun doing rather than something you see as a
chore, Fletcher says.

If you can’t fit 30 minutes a day into your
schedule, get more exercise simply by being less efficient with your
chores and adding a little extra walking distance everywhere you go.
However, if you pick an activity you like, finding time for fitness will
become effortless and the rewards enormous.

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

The Health Benefits of Water

We all need water to survive, but how exactly does it help?

Did you know that your body weight is approximately 60 percent water?
Your body uses water in all its cells, organs, and tissues to help
regulate its temperature and maintain other bodily functions. Because
your body loses water through breathing, sweating, and digestion, it's important to rehydrate by drinking fluids and eating foods that contain water.
The amount of water you need depends on a variety of factors, including
the climate you live in, how physically active you are, and whether
you're experiencing an illness or have any other health problems.

Water Protects Your Tissues, Spinal Cord, and Joints
Water does more than just quench your thirst and regulate your body's temperature; it also keeps the tissues in your body
moist. You know how it feels when your eyes, nose, or mouth gets dry?
Keeping your body hydrated helps it retain optimum levels of moisture in
these sensitive areas, as well as in the blood, bones, and the brain.
In addition, water helps protect the spinal cord, and it acts as a
lubricant and cushion for your joints.

Water Helps Your Body Remove Waste

Adequate water intake enables your body to excrete waste through
perspiration, urination, and defecation. The kidneys and liver use it to
help flush out waste, as do your intestines. Water can also keep you
from getting constipated by softening your stools and helping move the
food you've eaten through your intestinal tract. However, it should be
noted that there is no evidence to prove that increasing your fluid
intake will cure constipation

.Water Aids in Digestion

Digestion starts with saliva, the basis of which is water. Digestion
relies on enzymes that are found in saliva to help break down food and
liquid and to dissolve minerals and other nutrients. Proper digestion
makes minerals and nutrients more accessible to the body. Water is also
necessary to help you digest soluble fiber. With the help of water, this
fiber dissolves easily and benefits your bowel health by making
well-formed, soft stools that are easy to pass.

Water Prevents You From Becoming Dehydrated

Your body loses fluids when you engage in vigorous exercise, sweat in
high heat, or come down with a fever or contract an illness that causes
vomiting or diarrhea. If you're losing fluids for any of these reasons,
it's important to increase your fluid intake so that you can restore
your body's natural hydration levels. Your doctor may also recommend
that you drink more fluids to help treat other health conditions, like
bladder infections and urinary tract stones. If you're pregnant or
nursing, you may want to consult with your physician about your fluid
intake because your body will be using more fluids than usual,
especially if you're breastfeeding.How Much Water Do You Need?

There's no hard and fast rule, and many individuals meet their daily
hydration needs by simply drinking water when they're thirsty, according
to a report on nutrient recommendations from the Institute of Medicine
of the National Academies. In fact, most people who are in good physical
health get enough fluids by drinking water and other beverages when
they're thirsty, and also by drinking a beverage with each of their
meals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If
you're not sure about your hydration level, look at your urine. If it's
clear, you're in good shape. If it's dark, you're probably dehydrated.